3 Worlds
by Cusi
Summary: When Link, Sonic, and the Mario Brothers all arrive at a new and troubled world somehow connected to each of their own, it means thing are serious. And more so now that a sinister organization wants to rule all the worlds.
1. Chapter 1: 3 Worlds

A triple crossover with Mario, Sonic, and Zelda characters, as well as some of my own in future chapters. Wish me luck!

**Chapter 1: 3 Worlds**

In the Mushroom Kingdom, a letter is delivered to the Mario Bros.

_"Dear Mario:  
Hello! It's been a long time since we saw each other! How've you been? Archeology is one difficult job, but it also is rewarding. Anyways, I got a strange book from a mysterious merchant. It is titled "Hyrule Bestiary"; the merchant said it was a very rare book, since there's only one copy and…Oh, sorry! I got a little carried away! What I'm trying to say is that I'm going to investigate the origins of this book, and I was wondering if you could come to help me with this task. Little Dash is coming, too! You must see how much he has grown! He is so cute! Well, think about it. I'll await your answer._

_Goombella_

_P.S. Luigi is welcome, too!"_

Another letter delivered to Mario. Not from a royal princess but from an old friend. It has been a while since anything interested happened in the Mushroom Kingdom. There haven't been any signs of Bowser for the last couple of months. With Princess Peach discussing national relationships in the Beanbean Kingdom, this adventure seemed an excellent idea.

"What do you have there, Luigi?" asked Mario as he entered the house. "Oh, it's a letter from Goombella. She is asking us if we want to go on an adventure with her." answered Luigi. "Great! I was getting bored with the Princess and Bowser away! I'll get my hammer!" answered Mario with enthusiasm as he ran looking for his Ultra Hammer. "I'm going too. I also want adventure!" Luigi replied.  
"LET'S-A GO!" yelled the Mario Bros. as they jumped to the pipe in front of their house.

* * *

Somewhere in the Mobian skies, a fierce battle is being fought in a colossal flying fortress.

"Give it up, doc. You can't possibly wish to stop me...er, us." said a confident Sonic while avoiding giant robotic fists. "Curse you, Sonic" answered an angry Dr. Eggman. "Have a taste of my knuckle sandwich, you giant piece of junk!" said Knuckles as he punched the mechanical armor Dr. Eggman was in. "Good job, Knuckles! Just give me a minute until I shut down this ship's weapons." said Tails, working on some mechanism. "No time to turn it off. I'll just destroy it. This is how it is done." Said Shadow as a barrage of Chaos Spears began piercing the metal armor. "NOOOO!" cried Eggman.

"Told you!" said Sonic in a mocking tone. "Heh heh heh. You really thought I didn't have a backup plan? You are messing with the world's greatest scientist! Now take a look at this!" yelled Dr. Eggman as a capsule containing a black jewel rose from a trapdoor in the floor of the ship. "This is a new type of emerald I found deep in a lake. I call it the Necros Emerald. I have been studying it for a couple of months and discovered they emit similar yet opposite energy than that of a Chaos Emerald. Instead of giving huge amounts of power, this emerald drains it. And when it has absorbed enough, well, see it for yourself!" Suddenly, the black jewel began to shine. "Oh, and I have to thank you, Shadow. This emerald has been draining my fortress's power, so it at its limit. But your Chaos Spears just finished filling the emerald's energy." said Dr. Eggman sarcastically. "Why, you." replied Shadow angrily. "Here it comes!" said Eggman as an energy field began growing from the Necros Emerald. In a matter of seconds, the field had surrounded the entire flying fortress. In the field, gravity was halted, and all machines were suddenly stopped working. "Wait. What's going on? This isn't supposed to happen. ARGHH!" yelled Eggman as he just vanished. "Hey! Eggface, where did yo…" Sonic disappeared as he was speaking. Everything inside the bizarre field disappeared in an instant.

* * *

In a monster-filled cave, plagued by danger, a Hyrulian hero dressed in the accustomed green tunic finds his way through.

"But why do I have to go over there again? When I was here, there was nothing except monsters everywhere and a big fairy in the very bottom." complained Link as he just gave the final blow to a Dinolfo. "Shut up, Link. So much for a Hyrulian knight. I don't like it here, either. The Great Deku Tree sent me to pick you up and go to the Cave of Ordeals. He said something about the fate of the worlds in the 51th floor." replied Navi, a blue fairy that just recently joined the Hero of Legend "You know the Deku Tree is never wrong. Besides, aren't you worried about the disappearance of Ganondorf's corpse?"

"Yes, it was weird. The corpse went missing two months ago, just before its burial, and the guards in there were all killed. We have been invest… Wait. Worlds? You mean like more than one? And what did you say about 51 floors? There are only 50, I've been here before, you know? This is really confusing. Do you think both events are connected?" asked Link. He heard some tales about an ancient and wise tree, somewhere deep in the forest. He was the supposed guardian of the forest people, who Link had never met. And yet, he felt strangely familiar with the story.

"I don't know. But I think we'll find out as soon as we find the 51th floor. "

After slaying all monsters that got in their way, Link and Navi reached floor 49, where 4 armored knights awaited Link's arrival. Link quickly threw some bombs and some pieces of the armor the knights were wearing fell apart. A few rounds between the swordsmen fully destroyed the rest of the Dark Nuts' heavy armor. Then, Master Sword in hand, Link performed a Great Spin and defeated two knights and injured the third. The enemy was quick to attack, but was outmaneuvered by Link's Helm Splitter. As the body fell and vanished into black smoke, a door leading down opened. "They were actually fairly easy to defeat this time. Maybe I'm even greater than before!"

"Shut up."

The hero and the fairy descended to the next floor, floor 50. "Welcome" said a calm, female voice. It was the Great Fairy, sitting in a small pool of crystal-clear water. The first time Link saw her, he was a little shocked at the naked entity. This time, however, he just looked away and listened, trying not to stare at her rather attractive curves. "Hero of Legend, what brings you back here?" she asked. "We came here to find the 51th floor. The Great Deku Tree sent me to bring the Hero of Legend to 'where the worlds unite'. Do you, o Great Fairy, know where this may be?" replied Navi.

"Three worlds watched over by three powers: one watched by the stars, one protected by the earth, and one blessed by the goddesses. All three at one point merge into one, maintaining the balance between the three. Only the Great Ones know of this legend. Terrible thing are about to happen if the Great Deku Tree has informed you about this. Go, and may the goddesses aid you in your quest." said the Great Fairy, looked concerned. Then the small pool where she stood began to dry, revealing a hole that lead to the 51th floor. "Thank you" said Link, as he and Navi entered the hole.

* * *

So there you have it. My first started fanfiction! I have more chapters done, but I will post them later, just to see how this does. Reviews of any kind will be appreciated, and if you liked the story, rewarded. Now, I'm not going to lie, this was somewhat difficult for me. I may suck now, but I hope I get better the more chapters get published.


	2. Chapter 2: Goombella Arrives

***Note= Dash is the name of the Yoshi that joins you in Paper Mario: TTYD. At least in this story.**

**Chapter 2: Goombella Arrives**

Mario and Luigi began their little adventure to find the origins of a mysterious book, courtesy of their friend Goombella. They headed toward Princess Peach Castle, a little lonely without Princess Peach in it, where Professor E. Gadd was staying for a little research. Once there, the Mario Bros. explained the quest to the inventor. Prof. E. Gadd gladly sent a message to his old school partner Prof. Frankly, telling him to contact Goombella.

"Wuzzat? No! I didn't order any pizza! HUH? Well, if it isn't Rogueport's hero Mario and… the green guy! So you accepted Goombella's invitation? Good! She already left! She'll be arriving at the Castle by tomorrow's night. Good luck, and see ya later!" Prof Frankly said in E. Gadd's Gameboy Horror SP.

"O ho ho ho ho. On adventure again, I see. It is typical of you, Mario. But, are going too, Luigi?" asked E. Gadd.

"Yeah! I want to be stronger so I can be the hero next time!" answered Luigi, in an excited voice.

"Well, why don't you stay here for the day? Goombella is coming tomorrow night, after all. Oh! I almost forgot to show you my newest invention: the Shrinkomaticstoreitall! I installed it in Stuffwell. It shrinks all you equipment while inside Stuffwell, so you can carry all you want. The only problem is that I can't make it shrink shoes… Oh well. STUFFWELL, COME HERE!"

"Coming, Professor. Oh, Mario and Luigi! Nice to see you again!" the suitcase with boots and face rushed from the castle gardens. "How have your travels been as of lately?"

They continued to chat for some time. Then finally, the night of the next day quickly came, and Goombella and Dash, who was now the size of an adult Yoshi, came walking through the door.

"Hi, guys! Did you miss me?"

"Long time, Gonzales! How long do you think the Glitz Pit champion has been unbeatable? I'm simply the best, baby! I mean, how are you doing?"

After having dinner and chatting, the group decided to prepare for tomorrow's great adventure. Goombella started by giving some news regarding the book they were going to investigate. She began with how she found the book, and how she felt the ancient, mysterious aura the book gave. 

=== flashback ===

There was Goombella in Rogueport's central area again, talking with a tall, robed man, the merchant. He was easily almost twice Mario's height, and the robe he wore had what seemed ancient and weird patterns, similar to those of a forgotten civilization. They were discussing about a unique, interesting, and extremely old book.

"It looks so old, yet it is not harmed in any way. Where did you find this book?" asked the goomba girl, fascinated by the book.

"This book is ancient, yes. It came from somewhere unknown to regular folks and the key lies in the Pit of the 50 Trials." answered the shady figure.

"You mean the Pit of the 100 Trials? We already reached the last floor and beat the monster in there. We got that treasure. (and it really sucked, for all we had to get through...)"

"Don't compare Rogueport's puny Pit with the horror that is the Pit of the 50 Trials hidden in a vast, merciless desert, far away from here. Only the fiercest warriors had managed to find it, and yet no one has come out of it alive, except for the one that brought this book, and that person is now in the Underworld. But anyways, take this book. You seem to be interested enough to have it, so it is only 30 coins."

"Um… thanks."

"No, thank YOU!" the tall merchant said, before trying to suppress a maniacal laughter.

"Right..." Goombella then headed toward Professor Frankly's house to discuss about the book. Surely he would know something, or at least give her a clue to start her investigation.

"Hrmm… This book is definitely, absolutely, unmistakably…" began the old goomba professor, Goombella eager for him to finish "…MYSTERIOUS!"

"Oh, come on, professor!" yelled Goombella incredulous, again falling for his apparent tricks to disappoint people.

"This book I have never seen, and yet it looks a bit similar to the one that tells the story of an ancient desert civilization. They were supposed to live hundreds, if not thousands of years ago in Dry Dry Desert. Oh wait! I have an idea! Why don't you ask Mario to help you? The desert is very dangerous, after all, and I'm sure he would like to see you again!"

"Good idea! And thanks for the clues!"

"Clues? What clues?"

"Oh, forget it…"

=== end of flashback ===

"And that's why I'm here! So, as you can see, we need to find this Pit of the 50 Trials, hidden somewhere in a desert. That's no biggie for you, right, Mario? We can cross it no problem! Besides, you told me you knew a desert; Dry Dry Desert, was it?" commented Goombella.

"Let's-a go!" Mario said with enthusiasm. 

"I think I feel faint. Oh…"

"Don't be afraid, Luigi. Nothing can stop me… or the Super Mario Bros." interrupted Dash, full of confidence "I'm the unbeatable Glitz Pit champion, after all!"

"You may take Stuffwell with you." intervened an old man with thick glasses "I'm a bit curious about this book, so I'll contact you to see how it goes, meanwhile, I'll stay here to continue my research. Piranha Plants won't sturdy themselves… I think. Anyways, I took the liberty of stuffing up a couple of goodies to help you on your adventure." Professor E. Gadd handed the walking suitcase to Mario and told him he had stored another invention for him inside Stuffwell, a surprise for that matter "Good luck with you adventure!" He then returned to his improvised lab in the garden.

And with that said, the team went to sleep, excited about the coming day, unaware of the dark future that awaits them. What secrets could this old book hold? If there was something everyone there was certain of, it was that anything could come from anywhere. After all, was it not an old book what made him travel between dimensions to collect hearts and almost destroy all the worlds?


	3. Chapter 3: Link's Team

***Note= This Navi is NOT the same from Ocarina of Time, since this story is using Link from Twilight Princess. These Link and Navi just met a few days ago. Link doesn't personally know the Great Deku Tree, he just heard about him from Navi.**

**Chapter 3: Link's Team**

"Are you ready, Link?" asked Navi.

Link nodded. "Always, but you're never too cautious" Link kneeled and began checking his repertoire. Master Sword and Hylian shield to start, followed by his trusty bow and about 50 arrows in the quiver; next, the double clawshot, useful and fun to use. He still had enough bombs to get around a cave, as well as the wind fairy's weapon, the Gale Boomerang, and bottles filled with blue and red potions. Finally, a small dagger he received as a gift from Zelda and the Royal Guard captain. Lastly, he checked for the charm Ilia gave, which was safely hanging from his neck with a rope. He was ready for anything. Well, almost anything…

Just as Link gave the first step toward the hole leading to the mysterious 51th floor, someone stopped him. "Link, wait." Link looked at the person calling him. It was none other than Colin, the boy from his village, son of his friend and teacher, Rusl, one of the greatest swordsmen in Hyrule. Beside him was Chad, the scholar that helped him solve the sky puzzle and backed him up when he infiltrated the castle. This really surprised Link. Colin was taller now, and had slightly longer hair. He had the sword Rusl gave to Link when he started his quest to save Hyrule from eternal twilight, and a metal shield with Ordon's goat as the design in it. This brought back memories; Colin just looked like the mini version of the Hero of Legend.

"Link, take us with you!" said Colin, eagerly "I know it's dangerous, but please take us with you. It's time to show you what I've learned since you became a Royal Knight."

"Don't worry. He has been training hard. You wouldn't believe his skills!" added Shad, as to not worry Link. Shad hadn't changed at all, save for his expression, which seemed a little more serious than when he first met him.

"Chad! It's been a while. What are you doing here? And how did you know I was here?" Link was happy to see he was not going alone with the sweet, but still somewhat annoying fairy to the unknown new world.

"Well, you destroyed all the monsters on your way here, so it was pretty much empty. When I asked about your whereabouts in the castle, Princess Zelda told me you were headed to Gerudo desert. I barely got a glance at you entering this dreadful place. But anyways, I'm here to uncover the secrets of Hyrule's history. If my research is correct, we'll be able to find a lost and forgotten race."

"Do you ever stop studying?" Having been a farmer and a warrior, Link wasn't into studying history.

"Ha ha! A good study isn't found only in books. Experience counts, too. Or have you forgotten about the City in the Sky? Anyways, this research is also something my father wanted to do, but couldn't." Chad seemed to darken his expression a little, just barely for Link to notice.

"Well, OK." Link turned his attention to Colin "Colin, are you sure you want to come?"

"Yes. I promise I won't be as weak as before. I have trained a lot; maybe we can practice swordsmanship together in the free time. I thought of some moves I want to show you!" answered Colin, with a determined look in his face.

"Hmm... Very well. I appreciate your company, both of you. Navi gets annoying after a while. Come on." Link said, then entered the entrance at the dried pool. Colin, with sword and shield in his back followed. Shad, with old books and a crossbow in his pack, also followed. Navi, a kind and wise fairy, entered the hole last. "Stupid Link, acting all high and mighty. At least we aren't alone now..." she turned to the Great Fairy "I deeply thank your help Great Fairy. We are in your debt."

"Good luck" said the Great Fairy as the hole closed and water began filling the little pool again, and the hylians disappeared from sight. "I believe you'll need it"


	4. Chapter 4: Regroup

***A/N: Short chapters ahead. Hope you don't mind.**

**Chapter 4: Regroup**

"Ugh. Where am I? Where is everyone? What happened to Eggman and the Egg Fortress?" Sonic woke up from his slumber. He was in a bed, in what looked like a rustic bedroom, with just a bed and a small table. He managed to get up and out of the apparently empty house. When he got out, he found a pleasant field, a vast grassy land with not many trees, perfect for him, since he likes to run. "What a nice view. I think I'll run for a bit." He ran, feeling the soothing wind in his recovered body. After a while, he noticed a small group near the back garden of the lone house in the fields.

In the distance he saw Tails, Knuckles, and… AMY? What was she doing here? Sonic ran toward his friends and asked what happened. "Well, all I remember was cornering Eggman in his base when a black emerald started shining and somehow we got swallowed by a strange energy field or something and then blacked out. We all woke up in that house over there. It's the only house nearby. And Eggman, or his fortress, are nowhere to be seen. Shadow also disappeared." explained Tails. "And Amy was hiding in the fortress all along, so she is with us now."

"Hi Sonic, dear"

"Not now, Amy..."

"I remember the Fortress came crashing down, and we all fell nearby. If you go north from here, you'll find what's left of the fortress. It looks like Eggman ran away, as always, and Shadow went after him. The fortress was empty; the strange emerald was also gone." added Knuckles. "But I'm not sure we are even in home anymore. This place feels a bit different."

"I say we go find Shadow first. I'm worried about him. Afterwards, we can see what to do." said Amy.

"Good idea. Then we can find out what happened to Eggman and the Necros Emerald." agreed Tails.

"All right, then. Let's go!" Sonic was about to go when he suddenly stopped.

"It looks like you are all awake! We found you all lying around a huge spaceship, so we brought you here to recover." said a female voice. Everyone turned to see a woman, with a man beside her, greeting them. They had pale skin and were dressed in a short white dress and a white tuxedo, respectively. "Nice to meet you all! My name is Timpani. And this is my husband, Blumiere. ".


	5. Chapter 5: To Dry Dry Ruins

**A/N: I decided it would be fun to make Nintendo references/easter-eggs in this story. Can you find them? **

**Chapter 5: To Dry Dry Ruins**

After getting ready for their adventure, Mario and company headed to the train in Toad Town. The trip went well until they reached Mt. Rugged.

"Great. The train doesn't cross the desert." Goombella complained

"Not a problem for Air Luigi!" said Luigi, full of confidence.

"You look excited, Luigi. What's up?" asked a mocking Goombella

"Well, I realized my bro is not the only one with skills. I am strong when I want to. Besides, who do you think found the secret stars in space? And someone even told me I built a giant robot resembling me when I lost my memory!"

"Wow! I though you only stayed behind and watched after the house..."

"Just how do you think Mario would've returned from Beanbean Kingdom alive if it weren't for me?"

"You just went with me because the Koopa Cruiser mistook you for cargo and abducted you..." added Mario

"You still needed my help. Remember who saved you from drowning on legendary soda? Me!" answered Luigi

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice and all, but can we focus?" nagged Dash

As the party climbed the mountain, they talked about past adventures. They stopped to visit Whacka. The blue mole looked happy and frightened at their visit. After all, when people go on adventure and your bumps are edible and nutritious, you can't be too cautious. After saying hello and stopping Mario from whacking the poor creature for his bump, the team continued their journey toward the desert. Buzzar spotted them and went to say hi. He helped them reach the bottom of the mountain.

Once they descended, Buzzar said goodbye. After a short walk, they found themselves entering Dry Dry Desert. They decided it would be wise to go to Dry Dry Outpost to rest and prepare. The party continued their quest through the harsh environment. Pokeys and bandits attacked, but were easily beaten by the plumber brothers and eager yoshi. They reached an oasis, where they rested for a while. The limes and lemons were a nice snack, so they packed a few in Stuffwell, who said nothing during the trip. An hour later, they resumed their way to Dry Dry Outpost. The rest of the day passed and they reached their destination. The team stayed in Toad's house for the night.

"I'll be back" said Mario as he wandered alone in the little town. After what seemed half an hour, Mario returned with a mouse in a cloak by his side.

"Are they with you?" asked the mouse. Mario nodded. "I trust you all then, what I'm about to tell must not be told to anyone else. I am Moustafa, the guardian of Dry Dry Ruins. Pleased to meet you. Mario told me of your current adventure. It will be very dangerous, but I will guide to the entrance of the Pit of the 50 Trials, inside the ruins. Once there, it's your problem." he sighed "Remember, it's a secret to everybody".

The next morning, they all prepared to continue their adventure. After everything was set, the team began to head toward Dry Dry Desert. They travelled for hours through the harsh desert, lead by Moustafa. Intense heat and striking sand made the journey even more difficult. After the moon took the sun's place, the team finally reached the entrance to the Ruins. "The mere entrance is guarded by a lot of Chomps, so I imagine the Pit is by far the most dangerous place in this world. You have been warned." with that said, Moustafa vanished in the blowing sands of the desert, leaving the heroes to their fate.


	6. Chapter 6: Told Secret

**Chapter 6: Told Secret**

"It looks like you are all still injured. Please come to my house and rest until you recover. I'll make some tea and cookies." offered Timpani. "If you insist" the group once again entered the house. They were all sitting around a table, each with a cup of tea in hand and a plates of different cookies in the center of the wooden table.

"You two look so happy together" Amy started a conversation. "I mean, living in a nice meadow with the one you love... Ah, so romantic!"

"We are. We both had a hard past, but now we live together with not a care in the world. But enough about us; how come you just appear and come crashing down with a giant fortress out of the blue? That's not something that happens every day. Please tell us your story. Bleck...cough, Sorry" asked Blumiere, curious.

"Well..." Knuckles took a sip of tea and continued, in a unusually calm and refined way. "...We were chasing this mad scientist in his flying fortress, and eventually began a fight. This scientist, called Doctor Ivo 'Eggman' Robotnik, took out a strange black jewel when he was about to lose. After being 'charged', the jewel began to shine and then a weird energy field surrounded us. After that, all I remember was waking up inside your house, with all these wounds. I can't even tell if we are in the same world..."

Blumiere felt a bit uneasy. "What's the matter, dear? Are you ok? You look nervous." asked Timpani, noticing her husband.

"I-It's nothing. It's just that I have a bad feeling about this jewel. Something... is just not right. The Tribe of Darkness, they... Forget what I said." Blumiere stopped, realizing he had said to much.

"Would you please excuse us..." hurried Timpani, while she and Blumiere exited the room.

"Weird couples, aren't they?" exclaimed Sonic

"Sonic, shut up" scolded Knuckles.

Moment later, the couple returned. Blumiere looked a little calmer. "I'm afraid I'll have to tell you something important. What I'm about to tell you is of extreme importance and you should never tell anyone of this. I see Timpani trusts you, so I will, too." He breathed deeply to control himself "To begin, you are most probably not in your own world anymore. That jewel you saw is probably one of the lost treasures of the Tribe of Darkness, an ancient group said to live in the shadows, protecting this world from great danger. It is said that this jewel had the power to travel between dimensions, so it was the most secret and valuable possession of the Tribe of Darkness. I don't know how it got into your world, but this can't be a good thing. It is imperative we get it back, of we could all be in great danger."

"And it only gets worse" a voice was heard from outside the window when the wall exploded. On the other side of the mess was a grinning Dr. Eggman in his hover vehicle, armed with missiles and lasers. "It was very naughty of you to come and steal my Necros Emerald, Sonic. Now I'll eliminate you and your friends and take it back."

"What? We thought you had it! How are we going to take it back from you if you don't have it? By the way, where is Shadow, anyway?" Sonic questioned.

"Let's just say Shadow is with other friends of his. Now give me my Emerald, or I'll make swiss cheese out of your new friends."

"Stubborn, I see. I told you I don't have it."

"If you don't have it, then where is it?"

"Oh no!" Blumiere panicked "If we don't get that jewel back, all worlds will be in jeopardy!"

"Ok, then. Let's do it to it! Sorry Egghead, but you're going down." Sonic said while he spin-jumped to attack Eggman.


	7. Chapter 7: The Mirror of Truth

**A/N: I let my imagination fly with this chapter. Anyhow, as a wise man once said, "Anything that doesn't directly contradict canon is fair game"**

**Chapter 7: The Mirror of Truth**

Link, Chad, Colin and Navi entered the hole beneath the Great Fairy's pool. After a long rock hallway, they reached a small chamber. Link was astonished, to say the least. Before him stood the Mirror of Twilight! He felt a great joy that quickly turned into confusion, for the design in the mirror was different. Instead of the Triforce in the center, there was an eye, an eye with three triangles resembling eyelashes on top and a long tear running from it.

"At last! The Mirror of Truth!" Chad exclaimed in a low voice. The hero's suspicion came true: it wasn't the Mirror of Twilight. Chad then began to inspect the mirror, excited as he did so. Link and Colin were watching his partner do his work with a confused look in their faces.

"You seem to know a lot about this mirror, Chad" Link began "even when the Royal Library has no information about two mirrors. I thought there was only one."

"The Royal Family doesn't know all of Hyrule's legends and myths. But you are right, there is more than one mirror; in fact, each of Hyrule's main magical races have, or at least had, their own mirror. I suspect the only remaining one is the one before your eyes. The thing is, none of them know that, considering that all the mirrors have been destroyed. They have been forgotten in history. Besides, each mirror needed a different key to activate. The Mirror of Twilight required the combined power of the sages, or the Triforce, because it was used by the Royal Family to send extremely dangerous and unfaithful magic-wielders to the dark realm, or Twilight Realm, as you said it was called." This was said with a hint of disdain. Unaware, Chad continued "I believe the ones with mirrors were the hylians, the oocca, and gerudo. Possibly another race, but I can't say for sure"

"Ah huh... Wait. The gerudo? How come those monsters have their own mirror?"

"Not the actual gerudo. Long ago, there was a band of thieves consisting only of women known as the Gerudo Thieves. Once every hundred years, a lone male would be born among them and become King of the Gerudo. Actually, Ganondorf was the last of them. He was the last King of Gerudo. Rumors say that after everything Ganondorf did to Hyrule, the Royal Family decided they were too much of a threat and eliminated them. Afterwards, the goblins in the desert simply took the name for themselves." Chad was full of pride for his vast knowledge.

"So…" Link began, dumbfounded "This mirror belongs to…"

"A race thought to be extinct. At least, it seems that way. This mirror, the Mirror of Truth, belonged to the Sheikah."

"Sheikah? I heard of them from Impaz at the Hidden Village. But I don't really know much about them."

"Of course not. The Sheikah were a small race of skilled warriors, but they always worked in the shadows. They had an alliance with the Royal Family a long time ago. However, they were betrayed, so they disappeared from Hyrule without much of a trace. The reason you found nothing about them is that the Royal Family would never let this betrayal be know, or they could lose their alliances with the Gorons and the Zoras. And that, as you may know, would imply another war."

"But what use could a mirror have to us?" Colin asked, retaking the subject "It's just a mirror. And we don't have the key to activate it."

"These mirrors have the power to take us to another dimension. The Mirror of Twilight, for example, takes you to the Twilight realm. The Mirror of Spirits, the one that belonged to the gerudo, could link you to the world of spirits. The Oocca's mirror, the Mirror of the Gods, was said to take you the Sacred Realm. Finally, the Mirror of Truth… well, let's see!" this said, Chad took out what looked like a purple magnifying glass from his bag. The red lens had the same design as the eye in the mirror, with three matching decorations to represent the eyelashes and the handle to serve as the tear. "This is the Lens of Truth. If my research is correct, this should be the key to use this mirror here." Chad looked through the lens toward the mirror. The mirror reacted to the lens and began to glow. The designs on the glass were projected in the wall and a portal appeared. "That should do it" Chad exclaimed, satisfied by his discovery. Link, Colin and Navi just stood there for a moment, before noticing that Chad was approaching the newly formed portal and was about to enter when he called for them. They followed.

Full of courage and determination to solve this enigmatic quest, the team entered the portal. After they were gone, the portal closed and the Mirror of Truth returned to its normal state, as if nothing had happened in that small, rocky hall.


	8. Chapter 8: The Pit of the 50 Trials

**A/N: Long chapter. I attempted to write fighting scenes, but I can't seem to get them right. Oh well... Enjoy.**

**Chapter 8: The Pit of the 50 Trials**

"Ah, memories…" sighed Mario, remembering his adventures rescuing the Star Spirits. Mamar was saved by Mario from within the ruins. "Can you believe the guy that guarded the Star Spirit defeated himself? Heh, Tutankoopa sure was lame."

The team continued their way silently, until Goombella felt something uneasy. "Hey, guys? Don't you feel like we are getting followed?"

"Keen as always, Goombella" everyone turned around to see none other than Ms. Mowz. She took a couple of steps toward Mario and gave him a smooch on the cheek. "How have you been, my delectable hunk of cheese? Oh! And who is this fine specimen of a man?" she asked while looking at Luigi, a visible grin on her face, which Goombella found annoying. "Oh, it is Luigi, am I correct? Anyways, what brings you to Dry Dry Ruins, dears?" Ms. Mowz continued.

"We are going to the Pit of the 50 Trials located here to investigate about an old book. But never mind us, what are YOU doing here?" replied Goombella.

"I'm just visiting my former home for nostalgia. And I heard there are some rare badges here, too! That is, if Mario hasn't take them all already." she winked at Mario.

"Old home? I thought you lived in Rogueport."

"Oh, silly me. I guess I didn't tell you. I was born in Dry Dry Outpost! It was there where I learned to be a thief. Call it a family business; it goes way back. I then went to Rogueport to look for badges, then I kind of established there. I always wanted to open a badge shop."

"Family business? Way back? I think you are more related to this place more than you appear." said Goombella with a raised eyebrow.

"I was told I come from a long-lived family of thieves; the same thieves that founded Dry Dry Outpost, it seems. But that's all in the past, now. Oh, and I think the pit you talked about is actually what the ancient civilization used to banish traitors; at least, that's what the legend says. Anyway, it is time for us to part, my cheese-hunks. Those badges aren't going to collect themselves." said Ms. Mowz as she gave Mario, Luigi and Dash another smooch each. "May we meet again!" and dashed to the exit.

"Aaaaghh! I can't stand her, that flirting witch!" cried Goombella in frustration (why couldn't she be as daring?).

The team continued to walk through the ruins until they reached the room where Mario fought Tutankoopa. Mario then noticed the door from where the Chomps were summoned to aid the false koopa pharaoh. "Hmm… I never really entered this gate." he finally said, tilting his head "Maybe that's the way to the pit."

Stuffwell then came out from Mario's pocket and recovered his actual size. "It would seem this gate has been locked down for protectionizing intentions. According to my database, it should open if we read the inscription somewhere around this room. Analize-mode engaged. Begin analytical analysis." they waited a few seconds while Stuffwell searched aroud the room, looking for clues. After a few minutes, the walking suitcase stopped and faced the gate "Found it! It is written in ancient language. Based on my database and downloaded information, the password should be something like 'Urhoko jojume'." That said, the iron bars that sealed the next room were slowly raised and opened a new way for the team to continue. "Done!" He shrank back into Mario's pocket.

When they entered the room, all they saw were sleeping chomps and a black stone pipe with some damaged inscriptions. "Let's go!" yelled Dash, waking all the chomps "Darn..." Everyone rushed to the pipe and jumped inside it, barely avoid conflict with the spherical metal guardians.

They landed on a large, circular, stone room, with only a red chomp in its center. "Look out!" yelled Goombella when the red beast lunged forward to bite Luigi. Luigi jumped out of the way and Mario readied his hammer. The red chomp attacked Dash this time, but was halted by Mario's hammer. Mario then struck the chomp, barely damaging it. "It's tough" he said. Luigi jumped and forcefully stomped the chomp. After several blows from the hammers, the enemy was finally defeated. "Looks like the typical pit of trials, bu to start the Pit with a Red Chomp… It must be really dangerous if this is just the first floor." said Goombella, a little shocked. She quickly recovered "But with Mario here, it will be a cinch."

The defeated enemy quickly turned to black smoke and disappeared, and another black pipe rose from the ground at the center of the room, where the chomp's stake was planted. "Well, only one way to go now." said Mario as he hopped to the pipe and entered, followed by Dash and everyone else.

The next room was identical to the first, except it had a wizzerd instead of a chomp. "A wizzerd? Are you kidding me?" exclaimed Goombella. "Stronger, but not sturdier." exclaimed Dash while headbutting his enemy. A kick from Luigi and a punch from Mario were the only things required to take out the mechanical magician. "You guys are scary." commented Goombella, while the wizzerd disappeared into black smoke and another pipe materialized before them.

Rooms 3 to 8 contained powerful enemies Mario and company had fought in the past: wizzerds, dark wizzerds, chomps, and a dry bones. As was done in the past, those enemies were defeated, making the black-stone pipe rise from the ground. However, room 9 was slightly different. It had enemies no one had ever seen before: from the ground came out a hoard of small, human-shaped skeletons, each holding a small trident. As everyone stood in awe, Mario grabbed his hammer tight and began pummeling the small army of bones. Luigi screamed in horror, but quickly came to his senses and helped Mario destroy the last enemies. "What the heck was that? It wasn't your average Dry Bones." exclaimed an alarmed Goombella when each skeleton vanished in black smoke. "I have never, ever, seen anything like that! And you didn't even hesitate to smash their heads!"

"You could say I'm used to it." laughed Mario. "Wasn't there any info about it in your book?"

"Let me check… Wow! You're right! It says that those things we fought are called 'Stalkin', and are thought to be the cursed remains of 'Miniblin'. It says they are weak, but rely on large numbers to attack. This book is amazing! It is like a massive encyclopedia with info on things I never even imagined!" answered Goombella while putting the book away. This book instantly gained its place in Goombella's list of favorite books.

This time, a silver pipe rose from the ground. Everyone , although a little confused, entered the pipe and reached the tenth floor. This floor had no enemies, but a black pipe, a blue pipe, and an inscription on the wall. Again, Stuffwell came out from Mario's pocket and read the inscription. "Hmm… According to data, the inscription should mean something like 'Warriors, return now, or face an even greater challenge in the black path'. It looks like difficulty will just add to the difficulty we already had and make a greater difficulty. Well... Back to adventure!" he then again shrank into Mario's pocket.

"Let's-a go!" Mario jumped into the black pipe, followed by everyone else. Floor 11 had three red, fanged plants in it, each with a drooling serpentine tongue and thorns in their stems. "Piranha plants?" "No, they look different." It didn't matter, since the Mario Brothers began the attack with their trusty hammers. After being smitten to the ground, the ferocious plants dispersed into black smoke.

"Those were Baba Serpents. It says they are meat-eating plants. They can live even when their stems get cut down. That's so creepy!" commented Goombella "I have an idea! I'll tell you info about the enemies so you can defeat them easily, just like we did in Rogueport."

Floor 12 and 13 had embers and dark bristles in them. Floor 14 and 15 had what seemed like jumping, four-legged, one-eyed spiders the book referred to as "Tektites", and giant, fire-breathing lizards known as "Dodongos". Floors 16 to 19 had varying amounts of these enemies in them, plus bats and rats. Flying skulls and chomps were also in those floors. And just like floor 10, floor 20 was free of enemies and had two pipes and the same inscription.

The team managed to get through the next 10 floors: 9 being enemy-infested, and floor 30, just like floor 10 and 20, a resting floor. Masked dinosaurs called "Helmasaurs" and skeletal beasts known as "Stalhound" were some of the new enemies Mario and company encountered. Floor 40, like each tenth floor before, had two pipes and an inscription in the wall. The inscription, however, was different than the last three. This new inscription was read by Stuffwell: "Brave and powerful warriors, the last chance to return is here. Dangers like none you have faced lie within the last 10 chambers. A great reward waits for those that survive, but death will inevitably come for those not worthy or strong enough".

"Strange. The first ten floors were the hardest. It looks like it's getting easier the farther we go." noticed Mario. "Well, you guys are very strong, so no wonder there." pointed out Goombella. After resting a bit, the team continued its way downwards, through the black pipe.

The next floor contained two tiki-like statues with arms holding a shield and a hammer. When Goombella approached to inspect, a blue glow came from the statues and they came to life, almost crushing Goombella with their hammers. Dash quickly took Goombella away and asked for weak-spots. Each Mario Brother faced one statue. The plumbers began their attacks, but they were all fruitless, as the statues barely flinched at their attacks. After consulting her book, Goombella told them that the statues are called "Armos", and that their only weak-spots were the jewels on their backs. This said, Mario and Luigi ran toward each other and jumped. Mario grabbed Luigi and threw him to the wall, which Luigi used to ricochet and hit the Armos in the jewel on its back and shattered it. The statue went berserk for a moment and then exploded. Dash quickly hopped forward and gave a strong kick to the other Armos while Mario distracted it. Again, the jewel cracked, causing the stone foe to start attacking faster. Goombella headbonked it and finally shattered the jewel, making the Armos go berserk before exploding, revealing the black pipe.

Three armored lizard-men awaited the team in floor 42. Each of them had an axe in one hand, a small shield in the other, two blades attached to their tails, and a hard helmet on their head. Goombella got away from the enemies while Mario, Luigi, and Dash each fought with a lizard. "These guys are called Dinolfos, and as you can see they are heavily armored. No weak-spots, so you'll have to find a way to damage them. They are not too smart, though." "Easy for you say" said Dash while avoiding an axe. Goombella jumped and headbonked on Mario's enemy. This sudden blow distracted the Dinolfo. Mario took advantage of this and crushed the Dinolfo's head with his hammer. "Thanks, Goombella!" he exclaimed, then went to help Dash. A sweep kick from Mario brought the lizard-man to the ground, and Dash finished it with a powerful ground pound. By the time they were going to help Luigi, Luigi gave a front somersault and whacked the foe to the ground with force, completely obliterating the Dinolfo's skull. A few moments later, the black pipe appeared. "Ok, this is getting a lot harder" said Mario, panting a little.

Only a big ice mass was in floor 43. But this ice mass turned out to be an ice, dragon-looking monster. As Dash attempted to head butt the foe, he was frozen instantly. "Don't touch it! It's way too cold." warned Goombella, a little too late. She then consulted her strange book again. "That's a Freezard. It instantly freezes anything that touches it, so I'd guess fire projectiles work the best." "Hmm, I got it" said Mario, as he took out a couple of Fire Flowers and threw one to Luigi. After absorbing its power, Mario began shooting fireballs to the Freezard and Luigi began unfreezing Dash. After a few moments, the Freezard broke into smaller, one-eyed bunches of ice, which were easily destroyed by the brothers' hammers. The pipe rose from the ground moments afterward.

In the next floor, the team was received by four ice warriors. These ice fighters grew an icicle from their leg and used it as a spear. As Mario prepared for an attack, another spear hit him from behind. "These are Chilfos, warriors made from ice. They can generate icicle spears from their bodies. If you destroy their heads, you will defeat them." said Goombella while reading her book. This took the attention of one Chilfo, which attempted to strike the goomba girl. Mario jumped and received the blow, the quickly threw his hammer at the Chilfo and shattered its head. The ice body them fell to the ground and exploded into black smoke. As Dash evaded a thrown ice spear, he swallowed Mario's hammer, and forcefully spat it out to the Chilfo's head, destroying it. The other two Chilfos joined forces on Luigi, who was beaten by the spears. A punch from Mario and a kick from Dash took out the last enemies. Again, the pipe appeared from the ground when the ice bodies turned to black smoke. Luigi stood up and picked his hat. He had an annoyed expression.

Two winged reptilian humanoids awaited in the next level. These creatures had a small round shield and a sword as weapons. Since they were airborne, they stood out of reach for the team. The information the book offered was that Aeralfos, referring this enemy in particualr, was a flying swordsman, and that they had the habit of blocking with their shield before diving to attack. As the Aeralfos raised their shields, they quickly dived to attack Dash, who quickly evaded. The Aeralfos began to laugh at their opponent. Mario grabbed Luigi's arm and began to spin rapidly. The mocking turned to confusion when the Aeralfos saw this. Mario let go of Luigi and Luigi flew directly toward one of the flying foes and slammed it to the wall with a tremendous force. The flying swordsman attempted to block with its shield, but the impact proved too much and the attempt failed, embedding it to the wall. The other Aeralfos looked in shock at Mario, but Luigi bounced from the wall and aimed for the remaining reptile. He spun in the air and performed a drill-kick that knocked down his target. Once in the ground, the beast was pounded by Mario's hammer until it was no more.

Floor 46 had a single mummy in it. The mummy was laid down and held an enormous sword covered in bandages. When Mario and company landed, the mummy stood up and let out a terrifying scream that paralyzed everyone. The mummy then raised its giant sword and hit the stunned Mario with it, sending him flying across the room. When Dash regained movement, he threw an egg at the mummy's head and the mummy flinched. Luigi then threw a barrage of fireballs at it, igniting the undead creature and burning it to ashes. Goombella ran to where Mario was and gave him a mushroom. "What was that?" Mario asked when he ate the mushroom. "It says here that they are called 'ReDead Knights'. Talk about a terrifying name. They paralyze you with their horrible screams and then attack. Good thing that sword wasn't sharp." answered Goombella. When Mario recovered from the blow, everyone entered the black pipe leading down. It's a good thing the Mario Brothers have a hard head.

When everyone reached floor 47, all they saw was two piles of bones and armor. Suddenly, those piles assembled themselves and turned into armored skeletons with a sword and shield. Consulting her book, Goombella warned that these skeletons, called "Stalfos", cannot be defeated, except by blowing them up when they shatter to bones. "If only Bombette or Admiral Bobbery where here…" Before engaging in battle Stuffwell came out from Mario's pocket. "I believe the professor left some explosives inside me when researching. We could use them to blowify these boney brawlers." "Good idea!" Luigi took out some square bob-ombs from Stuffwell "Prof. E. Gadd sure is special." Mario hammered one Stalfos and it shattered to bones. Luigi threw one of the bombs to the bones. The explosion turned the bones to dust. Dash shot his tongue toward the other skeleton and ate its head. The body was shattered by Mario and blown up by Luigi. Dash spat the skull and it turned to Mario. The head quickly realized its mistake when it was pounded by the plumber's hammer. Everyone entered the pipe once it rose from the ground.

A blue knight was found patiently waiting in floor 48, covered in armor from feet to head and armed with a big flanged mace and a heavy iron shield. Mario attempted to attack its head, but the knight blocked with its shield and swung the mace and knocked Mario down. "That's a Dark Nut, and to damage it, you'll have to remove all of its armor first. It says this is an elite fighter, so it won't be easy." said Goombella while checking her book. Dash rushed to the Dark Nut's back and tackled it. This caused the knight to lose grasp of its shield and a few pieces of armor. The Dark Nut quickly turned around and hit Dash with its mace. Luigi took advantage of the Dark Nut's lag and smashed its back with his hammer, causing more armor pieces to fall. This left the Dark Nut with only a gauntlet, the chest plate, and its sword. Mario recovered and used his hammer to knock down the remaining pieces. A chain mail was revealed covering the knight's body. Left with only its weapon, the knight took a jump backward and threw its mace at Mario, who barely ducked under the attack. The Dark Nut then grabbed a rapier from the sheath in it waist. Without its armor, the opponent was a lot faster than before, but was protected no more. Goombella headbonked the Dark Nut in the back, knocking it over. In the ground, it was brutally beaten by Mario, Luigi, and Dash. Eventually, the foe turned to black smoke and the usual pipe appeared.

Floor 49 contained two Dark Nuts, one black and the other golden. The black one had a big double-edged sword instead of the mace, and the golden one had a bladed club. "Not these guys again." complained Luigi. The strategy was the same, but having another enemy complicated things. When anyone attempted a blow to a Dark Nut, the other would block. "Swing Bros. again" said Mario while grabbing Luigi by the hands and spun rapidly. He let go and Luigi went flying with a tremendous force toward the Dark Nut. The other Dark Nut tried to block, but both were hit lost their shields and some armor pieces. Dash used his tongue to swallow the fallen pieces and shot them at the knights, causing even more pieces to fall. Eventually, both Dark Nuts were left with only their weapons, which made them take a step backwards and throw their weapons at their attackers. Again, chain mail were revealed and rapiers taken from their sheaths. Goombella tried to headbonk again, but was blocked and hit by one of the rapiers. Mario threw his hat boomerang-style and distracted a Dark Nut, while Luigi hit the other with his hammer. Dash tackled Mario's enemy and knocked it over. Mario then pounded the knight's head to the ground with great strength. The Dark Nut exploded in black smoke. Mario and Dash then attacked the other Dark Nut and defeated it with Luigi's help. After both Dark Nuts were defeated, Mario picked up his hat and replaced it in his head. Then, a red blob of jelly fell from the ceiling. This blob was alive and began to attack Dash. Goombella consulted her book and discovered that those blobs were called "Chu Chus" and that they are made of nutritious jelly. Mario whacked the Chu Chu and splashed it unto everyone's faces. Dash swallowed a small part of the blob. "It tastes good!" "That's gross." "What? Goombella said it is edible. Besides, I feel refreshed now!" "Okay, I'll taste it… Hey, it's really good!" Everyone then ate the poor blob and recovered from their injuries. After the blob was no more, the pipe rose.

The last floor was completely different from the past ones. This one was not made from ordinary stone; it was marble. Also, the room was covered by an inch-high level of water. The water was like a reflecting mirror floor. Everyone could see the wiggly reflection in the water. In the center, just above the water level, was platform, and across the room the team found a colossal door frame with yet another inscription in it. Stuffwell came out from Mario's pocket and walked over to the door to analyze the inscription. Everyone else followed Stuffwell. After a moment, he translated. "'Only those who can conquer themselves will be worthy of the world beyond.' Looks like after all the trouble we had; we still need to solve one last puzzle." "Ooh... Why now?" whined Goombella while looking down. Shocked she asked "Hey! What happened to our reflections? I'm sure there were reflections were we entered this room!" Everyone then looked down, and in fact, there were no longer any reflections of them in the water. There was the reflection of the door and the ceiling, but not theirs. Then, they turned to the platform and were shocked to see what they found. In the platform stood their reflections, reflections that quickly lost all color and became black as darkness alone, with intimidating red eyes. The shadows walked down from the platform. Suddenly, the dark silhouettes jumped and attacked the adventurers.


End file.
